Artie Lange

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Stand-up comic and actor Artie Lange was part of a tradition of self-deprecating comedians whose no-holds-barred humor mirrored their off-screen propensity for self-destruction. Much like Chris Farley, Sam Kinison and John Belushi before him, Lange also suffered from punishing addictions to drugs and alcohol that resulted in lost opportunities, physical ailments, and eventually, a horrific suicide attempt. As part of the inaugural cast of "MADtv" (Fox, 1995-2009), Lange's future in TV comedy looked bright, until a botched drug intervention by his castmates led to an arrest, jail time, a stint in rehab and Lange being let go from the popular show. He found a comedic ally in Norm MacDonald, with whom he co-starred in the feature film "Dirty Work" (1998) prior to being brought along for MacDonald's short-lived sitcom, "The Norm Show" (ABC, 1999-2001). He later transitioned to radio, replacing Jackie Martling on "The Howard Stern Show" in 2001, during which time he wrote, produced and starred in the low budget feature "Artie Lange's Beer League" (2006) and penned the best-selling memoir Too Fat to Fish in 2008. Although a suicide attempt in early 2010 marked an all-time low for the comedian, Lange eventually returned to radio as one-half of the sports talk program "The Nick and Artie Show" in 2011. Blurring the lines of art and reality, Lange's personal demons continually fed his biting comedy even as they ultimately threatened to destroy him.Born Oct. 11, 1967, Arthur Steven Lange, Jr. was raised in Union Township, NJ by his father, a general contractor, and his homemaker mother. Lange's family was thrown into chaos shortly after he was born; his father was arrested and put on trail for counterfeiting, but was spared by the court, which felt sympathy for Lange, Sr. after their birth of his son. In school, Lange showed an aptitude for baseball, and eventually became an All County third baseman, but spent most of his free time working with his father, with whom he had a close relationship. Tragedy struck again in 1985 when Lange's father fell from a roof and broken his back, which left him quadriplegic. Lange, who had graduated high school that same year, struggled to make up the family funds lost by his father's accident by seeking out items from celebrities to donate for an auction. Only Howard Stern - a favorite of Lange and his father - contributed an item. Lange, Sr. would pass away from an infection four and a half years later.Meanwhile, Lange himself was beginning to tread the path between no-holds-barred comedy and danger that he would walk throughout his life. At 19, he was arrested for attempted bank robbery; according to Lange, his intention with the note that stated he was armed and wanted $50,000 was to catch the eye of a teller he found attractive, but the plan backfired wildly, and he was charged with disorderly conduct and sentenced to community service. As part of his probation, he attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting for a few months in 1987. Lange demonstrated a natural manner on air, and was soon offered a job at a station in Wyoming. But Lange's family still needed money to stay afloat, and he soon took a variety of jobs, including cab driver and longshoreman, to provide for them. But following his father's death, he decided to follow a different dream.A longtime fan of edgy standups like Richard Lewis and George Carlin, he felt that his calling was in comedy, and in 1989, he made his debut at New York's Improv. His humor, built around observations about class, his Italian-American heritage, and his beefy frame, soon gained a following. Lange then moved into sketch comedy with an improvisational group he helped create called Live on Tape. Lange soon found himself on television as part of the original cast of the sketch comedy series "MADtv," where, by his own description, he held down the John Belushi role - loud, rude and out of control. An impressive mimic who imitated everyone from Roseanne Barr t